Abstract: A method of forming an article includes forming a layer of a mixture of at least two distinct metal powders selected such that when combined they are chemically in the proportions of a superalloy containing a gamma prime phase, and fusing the powders locally without diffusion to define the shape of a part of the article such that the materials of the distinct metal powders remain substantially chemically segregated forming regions of different chemical composition. The method further includes repeating the forming and fusing until the derived article is formed, and heat treating the finished article such that at least one of the distinct separate materials diffuses to form a gamma prime phase containing superalloy with the other.

Abstract: Methods of additive manufacturing a superalloy component are disclosed. In one method a powder bed of superalloy powder is selectively scanned with a focused laser beam in a line-by-line manner; and the spacing between adjacent scan lines is no more than twice the layer thickness being formed. In another method a compressive stress treatment is applied to the surface of the final component prior to separation of said component from the substrate. In a further method a superalloy component is formed on a substrate and the method includes Hot Isostatic Processing of the component wherein the mass of the substrate is reduced prior to the Hot Isostatic Processing. The methods may be combined in a multi-step process.

Abstract: Reinforced materials for high temperature superconducting tape. More specifically reinforcement materials for significantly reducing the amount of required reinforcement and attaining much higher stress tolerances at practical conductor dimensions are described herein.

Abstract: Apparatus is for additive layer manufacturing of an article from a material which can be rendered solid locally by application of a focused beam of laser radiation at a planar focal plane. The apparatus includes at least two laser beams, respective scanners for each laser beam for scanning the respective laser beams over a planar field, and a support movable stepwise to allow successive manufacturing layer cycles and for supporting material within the field. The entire planar field is common to each scanner and at least one scanner is tilted with respect to the planar field, and the at least one scanner is provided with a lens arranged to generate a focal plane tilted with respect to that scanner.

Abstract: A method of forming an article includes forming a layer of a mixture of at least two distinct metal powders selected such that when combined they are chemically in the proportions of a superalloy containing a gamma prime phase, and fusing the powders locally without diffusion to define the shape of a part of the article such that the materials of the distinct metal powders remain substantially chemically segregated forming regions of different chemical composition. The method further includes repeating the forming and fusing until the derived article is formed, and heat treating the finished article such that at least one of the distinct separate materials diffuses to form a gamma prime phase containing superalloy with the other.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of verifying a scan speed in a laser scanning system. The method includes modulating the laser of the system to form a periodically modulated feature from which the actual scan speed can be read or deduced.

Abstract: This invention relates to a transparent or translucent transaction card having a base comprising a core of substantially transparent or translucent material with a plurality of coats, including optically recognizable ink comprising one or more infrared blocking dyes and other nanoparticles, such as rare earth nanophosphors and other metal nanoparticles, and/or optically recognizable film comprising nanoparticles, such as rare earth nanophosphors, and other metal oxide and/or non-oxide complexes, and methods for their preparation.

Abstract: A method of forming an article in a layer wise manufacturing process from a computer software file representing the article includes dividing the file into sub files in dependence of the size or other characteristics of features of the article to be created, applying a process characteristic selected independence on a characteristic feature to each sub file and manufacturing the article in accordance with the subfiles.

Abstract: A metallic laminate composite having a first alloy layer having a low coefficient of thermal expansion, and a second alloy layer having a higher coefficient of thermal expansion. Additional and optional layers may be included in the laminate composite.

Abstract: There is provided a cochlear implant for improving the hearing ability of a patient suffered from hearing impairment comprising an internal receiving unit implanted into the body, which comprises a receiving part for receiving external signal, an active electrode and a reference electrode, characterized in that the active electrode is constructed with a single electrode wire having different thickness in at least two different regions. The active electrode of the internal receiving unit is inserted into a space formed at between the mastoid bone and the ear canal skin and end of the active electrode is inserted into the scala tympani of the cochlea and directly stimulates spiral ganglion. The cochlear implant provides easier implantation into the body and improved hearing ability at a lower cost.

Abstract: 1. A powder bed additive layer manufacturing system including a linear traversing re-coater and a build plate characterised in that the build plate is mounted for rotation, relative to the re-coater or movement about an axis.

Abstract: A method of making an article having at least one re-entrance surface includes the steps of (a) forming a layer of metal powder on a base, (b) selectively laser fusing portions of the layer, and (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) to form the article, each step (a) being performed on the preceding layer characterised in that prior to performing step (a) in a layer which will initiate the formation of a re-entrant feature reversibly bonding at least some of the unfused underlying powder such that it is stable under the application of the laser.

Abstract: A current collector plate for an electrochemical cell stack is described. The plate includes a corrosion resistant substrate having a recess in a central region of the inner face. Passageways in the substrate terminate at openings on the inner face to allow process fluids to pass through the plate. An electrically conductive coating is disposed in the recess for collecting current.

Abstract: A FeCrAl alloy for catalytic converter substrates having excellent oxidation resistance and dimension stability at a medium high temperature, e.g. the temperature encountered by catalytic converter substrates in truck diesel engines, without necessary addition of extra Y, Hf, or rare earth elements beyond that inherently present in commercial stainless steel. A roll bonding and diffusion alloying annealing method is used for making such materials with the following two deviated paths. First, material in which layers of ferritic stainless steel and aluminum are solid state metallurgically bonded together forming a multilayer composite material. Such composite material is then further rolled to an intermediate foil gauge and then subjected to a thermal reaction to form a resulting uniform solid solution foil material followed by rolling to the final foil thickness.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of metal substrate catalytic converter and the resulting product. In this method, a multiple layer aluminum and ferritic stainless steel composite material is first made by roll-bonding and then further processed to a final foil thickness. The composite foils are then fabricated to a honeycomb-like converter with air flow channels. The converter is then thermally treated at a high temperature during a necessary converter fabrication process. The monolithic FeCrAl alloy is then obtained in the converter by in-situ diffusion alloying with pre-oxide film on the surfaces. The resulted material has improved oxidation resistance and thermal dimension stability at a high temperature.

Abstract: This invention describes the roll bonding of Al and Ni-bearing Cu alloys to suitable substrates to produce self-brazing materials for the elevated temperature, aggressive environment application. The Al and Ni-bearing Cu alloy for the self-brazing layers can be obtained by cladding layers of elemental Ni and Al to Cu. The Al content in the self-brazing layers can be varied from 2 to 100%. The Ni content in the self-brazing Cu alloy can be varied from 10 to 100%. Additional alloying elements in the commercial Cu alloys such as Fe, Cr, Si, Mn, Sn and Zn are unavoidable. Trace elements in the commercial alloys such as Pb, Ag and As will also affect the brazing and shall be reduced.

Abstract: A method for producing titanium alloy brazing strips and the resulting brazing strips and/or foils. The method uses a cold-rolling process without annealing to generate a titanium based multi-layer alloy strip or foil made up of discrete layers of titanium and an additional layer or layers of one or more metals, such as nickel and/or copper, for example, or alloys thereof, with the layer of titanium roll bonded without annealing to the layers of the additional metal(s). The resulting strip or foil can include, for example, Cu/Ti/Cu, Ni/Ti/Ni, and Ni/Ti/Cu, and also, for example, Cu/Ni/Ti/Ni/Cu, and Ni/Cu/Ti/Cu/Ni, among other combinations. The resulting strip or foil can be used for brazing, creating an alloy of the weight percentage of the original materials.

Abstract: Lead alloy strip material (4, 6, 8) is roll bonded on one or both opposite face surfaces of a core strip material (2). The core material can be commercially pure titanium, austenitic stainless steel, low carbon steel, copper, aluminum, alloys thereof or other suitable metal that has sufficient ductility and that can provide desired attributes of stiffness and corrosion resistance to the composite. The lead alloy material is strengthened by the addition of less than approximately 1% of calcium or antimony and the core material is softened by fully annealing it prior to bonding. The several strips are reduced in thickness, preferably in approximately the same proportion, by at least 40% in the bonding pass to create a solid phase bond among the strips. The bonded composite is then rolled to final gauge and, for selected applications, is corrugated and cut to form panels (20, 22, 24) and etched to form pockets (8b) for pasting of active materials such as lead oxide for battery plates.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for treatment of liquid or semi-liquid animal waste using porosive particulate matter to remove malodorous materials, and to an organic fertilizer composition comprising organic substances derived from animal waste, said organic substance being held in pores of porosive, nutritionally inert particulate matter.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for treatment of liquid or semi-liquid animal waste using porosive particulate matter to remove malodorous materials, and to an organic fertilizer composition comprising organic substances derived from animal waste, said organic substance being held in pores of porosive, nutritionally inert particulate matter.